Samot – Across the Abyss (Review)

Samot are a blackened death metal band from Chile and this is their debut EP.

With a rumbling, old-school sound, this is a cobweb-strewn blend of old-school death metal and equally old-school black metal. The music combines both of these effectively and naturally, making for an enjoyable release of atavistic darkness.

A brief EP at only 14 minutes in length, we start off with a short instrumental that sets the mood for the rest of the release. After this we get the first song proper which introduces us to the singer’s rough, cavernous growls; they sound quite sinister and he sounds as if he’s going to somehow reach out of the speakers and take a bite out of you.

Macabre melodies are well-used, making for an immersive atmosphere where the metal runs riot and the darkness is never too far away. These melodies are one of the most enjoyable aspects of these songs, in fact, recalling a mix of Dissection and Bloodrain.

I like that the bass can be heard clearly through the dark distortion of the guitars, and I also like that it doesn’t always just slavishly follow what they’re doing.

Apart from the opening instrumental track there are two main songs. Both of them ably demonstrate the band’s abilities, and it’s clear that Samot know what they’re doing with their hybrid style. The EP ends with a sub-minute length track called Whispers that gently allows us to exit the world of Samot with our entrails still intact.

It may only be a short release, but Samot have definitely made an impact with their enjoyable and satisfying interpretation of black/death metal.